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Ancaron Ethnographical Questionnaire
This ethnographical questionnair is mainly limited to the Ancaron of the planet Antacar in order to simplify some of the questions, as making a single answer for a civilization that covers an entire galaxy would be too unwieldy. Questions of Place Describe the geography of where your society calls home. Describe the climate your society deals with. How severe are their seasons? What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to? What importance (spiritual or cultural) do people ascribe to the geography? How do people feel about local landscapes being altered or used for a purpose other than what is traditional? What are the most commonly-grown foods? What are the most commonly-eaten meats? What foods are considered exotic or expensive? What forms of alcohol are common? Rare? Is there usually enough food and water for the population? What is this place's most abundant resource? What is its most valuable resource? What resource is it most lacking? How do people travel from one place to another? Are the borders secure? In what way? How many people live here? Where in this place do they congregate? What part of this place do they avoid? Why? What are the most common domesticated animals here? And what are they domesticated for? What are the most common wild animals? How are wild animals treated? Which animals are likely to be pets? Which ones won't be? What are the most common domesticated plants here? And what are they used for? What are the most common wild plants here? What are they used for? Questions of Time How far back does this society's written history go? How far back do its people believe it goes? How was this society founded? Who founded it and under what circumstances? What were the chief powers in the time when this society was founded? If it originated far away from here, how did it get here? What is the worst disaster they believe they've faced? What are the major events in this culture's past? What was the best thing that ever happened to them? What in their past makes them feel ashamed? What in their past makes them proud? What are they afraid of happening again? What are they hoping will happen? Do they think it likely? How strongly are people attached or connected to their heritage? What do they assume the future will hold? How has this society changed? Do its current members realize this? What are the most popular stories about the past? Who in the past is the greatest hero? The worst villain? Do people think the present better or worse than the past? Do people believe the future will be better or worse than the present or past? Questions of Race and Ethnicity What are the chief races in the region? What are the chief ethnic groups of each race in the region? How are they distributed in place? How do they differ by language, appearance or ancestry? What jobs do the chief ethnicities primarily occupy? Are any groups denied work because of racial or ethnic heritage? What are typical attitudes of the native (or majority) ethnos to immigrants and other ethnicities? How has any variety of ethnicity in the region changed the society's culture? Questions of Family How many spouses may a man or woman have? Technically, someone can have as many spouses as they want. Practically, most groups consist of two people, or possibly three or four. Who decides on a marriage? The people who are getting married decide on the marriage. Can a marriage end in divorce? How? Yes, though it is typically rare. Most commonly it is due to abuse, or a major difference of opinion. Who usually takes custody of children if a marriage ends for some reason? Typically the parent(s) that the kids are closest to, though the neighbors may take custody in certain situations. How are families named? Families don't have names, rather the naming system is for a given name, and a locative name. What happens to orphans? Under normal conditions, the neighbors will raise them. How are boy and girl children treated differently? They aren't treated very differently, aside from pushing them towards or away from certain occupations depending on the femininity/masculinity of the occupation in question. What, if anything, is considered a good marriage gift? Marriage isn't seen as that big of a deal, as it is more along the lines of cohabiting with someone else. Because of this, gifts aren't as common, and typically consist of something that could help around the house. What inanimate or sexless things are considered male or female? The planet is normally considered female, and the sun male. Does this society connect the ideas of marriage with love? Somewhat, but it is more connected with the idea of two or more people who are friends and who want to live together. This may or may not develop into true love. How big are families, typically? Families are largely loosely bound, and technically an entire region or town could be considered a single family, even if they aren't genetically related. The neighbors raise the kids as much as the actual parents, and occasionally, a kid will leave his/her parents altogether and move in with someone else. What constitutes a household? How many people live in one household? How many generations? A typical household consists of a living area and normally has a married couple/group and possible kids. (which may or may not be their actual kids) Normally around 2 to 10 people live in a single household, which may contain two or occasionally three generations. Are girls or boys preferred and why? In general there is no preference one way or the other, though individual families may prefer one or the other for their own reasons. How common is domestic violence? Is it understood to be a problem, or a normal aspect of family life? It is normally rare, and is seen as a problem. If it is seen as problematic, what is being done about it? It is typically rare due to the abused sometimes being able to fight back with dao, in cases where the abused can't flight back, or is too scared to, neighbors often get involved to stop it, these interventions may or may not involve contacting the police. Questions of Customs and Social Life What colors are associated with power? With virtue? With death? If two men get into a fight, how is this supposed to be resolved? If two women get into a fight, how should that be resolved? How do people demonstrate grief? Who inherits property? Titles? Position? What are the most popular games? How important are they? When and how does someone go from child to adult? How much free time do people usually get? What do they spend this time doing? Is society segregated an any way? What social classes or divisions exist in this society? If so, can people move from one class to another? Are there any benefits to being of one class over another? Is there any discrimination against minority groups (racial, ethnic, religious) in this society? How independent or codependent are individuals? What are the typical roles of women and men? What are the expectations of children? Does the government play a large part in peoples lives? Does religion play a large part in peoples lives? Food Describe how daily food is obtained. What type of foods are most popular? What are typical dishes and specialties of the region? What type of food is the locality or region famous for? What cutlery, if any, do people use for cooking and eating? How is the table arranged? How do people sit when eating? Is there any arrangement by age or dignity of diners? How many and when are the main mealtimes? Are there restaurants, popinas, street vendors or other places where food may be bought in public? Is there a significant risk of food poisoning? How many cases lead to death? Is there understood to be a link between food and poisoning or illness? How much does a typical meal cost, if bought and not grown at home? Clothing and Fashion What kind of clothes do people wear? How does this vary by season, ethnicity, age, profession, etc? How do the genders dress: what differences are there between men's and women's clothing and accessories? Men wear skirts and dresses, and women wear pants. Men can wear pants only if they have a skirt/dress on over them. Neither gender wear many accessories, though men wear the most of the two. How is clothing made, in small shops or larger factories? How much does typical clothing cost? How important is fashion to people? How does this vary by individual? What kinds of jewelry do people wear? And when? Entertainment Does the culture have outlets for dramatic arts (theater, puppetry, cinematography)? What other major forms of entertainment are there? Is the populace literate and numerate? Do people read for pleasure? If so, what do they read? How much do books, magazines, broadsheets and the like cost? Is there a public library system? Who uses it? Who are popular authors and poets? Who are some of the more famous characters from literature? How has this changed over time? Questions of Manners Who speaks first at a formal gathering? What kinds of gifts are considered appropriate or in extremely bad taste? How do younger adults address their elders? When is it rude to laugh at something funny? What kinds of questions cannot be asked in public? In private? At all? What parts of the body are routinely covered? How private are bodily functions like bathing or defecating? Questions of Faith Is the culture religious or nonreligious? What are the major religious groups in the region? What are some of their core doctrines, dogmas, beliefs and practices? What is the overall cosmology and eschatology in religious terms? Is religion a cause of dissatisfaction, dissension or hostility in the region? Are religious traditions and any scriptures oral or written in nature or a combination? Is there a set canon of what constitutes officially sanctioned scripture? How are scriptural / traditional exegesis accomplished and by what hermeneutics? What is the role of myth within the religion? Is there a formal creed or set of credal statements that define the faith? What are typical symbols used in the religion and their meanings? What ritual objects are used in the religion (relics, talismans, medals, charms, etc)? What religious officials are there? Is there a formal clergy? How are they organized? Are there monks, saints, faqirs, nuns, prophets, apostles, disciples, preachers, friars, shamans, martyrs, mystics, seers, vates, sages, ascetics, religious heroes, saviors, redeemers, etc? What do people believe happens to them after death? How, if at all, can they influence this? What happens to those who disagree with the majority on questions of religion? Are there any particular places considered special or holy? What are they like? Is there a set religious calendar? What are the most popular rituals or festivals? Are there liturgical, meditative, and contemplative aspects to the religion? What is the basic structure of the religion (unitary, dualistic, etc)? What is the basic theology of the religion (i.e., monotheistic, polytheistic, henotheistc etc)? What do people have to offer to their Deity or deities? What do people want from their Deity or deities? How do they try and get it? Are there differing denominations or sects of the religion? How do their religious practices differ from their neighbors? Are issues such as orthodoxy, heterodoxy, heresy and apostasy keys in the religious life? What gender, ethnic, national or racial issues exist within the religion? Is ecumenism engaged in, or are other traditions treated as adversaries or enemies? What is the most commonly broken religious rule? What is the least-violated religious rule? How are such infractions punished? Is it possible to expel a community member? How can an outsider join the religious community? Does the religion send out missionaries? What role(s) do they play? What factions exist within the dominant religious institutions? How do they compete? Are the differing groups a result of schismatism or mutual and cooperative separation? Are there monastic groups? What do they do and how are they organized? How do you join one? Are there cult groups within the religious community? How are those who follow different faiths treated? What relationship do religious and political leaders have? What superstitions are common? What kinds of supernatural events or beings do people fear? What kinds of supernatural or preternatural beings exist in this religion (angels, demons, devi, asuras, spirits, ghosts, sprites, etc)? How are dreams and visions encompassed by the religion? How is religious action expressed (spontaneous or ritual liturgy, song, dance, music, ritual action, sex, miracle plays, etc)? Magic (Dao) How is magic integrated into society? Who can work magic? Is anyone disallowed from working magic? How are works of magic accomplished? What kind of preparation or study is required before undertaking a magical work? Questions of Labor Describe any kind of division of labor, such as into physical versus mental versus spiritual. Is there any especial prestige attached to some category of labor or a particular job? What jobs are considered mucky or are particularly depreciated? What professions or activities are considered masculine? What professions or activities are viewed as feminine? What are usual working hours? Are there days of rest or holidays? How does this differ between different jobs? What jobs have few workers and why? What are typical wages for various jobs? How does work affect lifestyle and health? What sort of jobs are preferred by which people? Are some jobs denied to certain groups? What are the ethical oaths or codes that govern various jobs? Is there a difference in ethics between manual and mental or spiritual work? Questions of Art What are the favorite art forms? What are the least-favorite? How respected are artists? Do artists require official or unofficial protection or patronage? What kinds of trouble are artists in particular likely to find themselves in? How might a very successful artist live? What forms of theater does your society have? How naturalistic or stylized is your society's art? What shapes are most common in your society's arts, like embroidery or architecture? Which art forms get the most and least respect? What form does censorship take? Who may not be an artist? What qualities equal "beauty" in this society? What makes a man or woman especially beautiful? How do people react to tattoos? Piercings? Facial hair? Cosmetics? Entertainment Do people enjoy looking at art? Does this vary among communities? Do people enjoy doing art? Does this vary? Is there any calligraphy? Who does it? Does your culture have a distinct (or not so) musical style? What is it like? How do people listen to music (in a theater, at home, on the street, mechanical)? Does music influence people's behavior? Does this culture have a typical dance form? What is it like? Who goes to see such entertainments? Questions of Marriage How is a marriage defined? How is a marriage contracted? What is the term of a marriage contract? What gifts are considered appropriate or inappropriate for a wedding? How are marriages celebrated? What is considered too great a difference in age for a couple? Do relationships allow multiple partners? In what ways is a marriage considered broken? How can a marriage be terminated? Questions of Health What is the average life expectancy? How does this differ between different regions, races or ethnicities? Average life expectancy is around 300 (Earth) years. What access do people have to clean drinking water (at home or in public)? Everyone does under normal conditions. What access do people have to proper sanitation (at home or in public)? Again, everyone under normal conditions. Do houses or public buildings have plumbing? Cold and warm water? Yes and yes. Describe any public or private bathing or latrine facilities. How is healthcare delivered in this society; what are its foundations? There is no actual formal healthcare system in Ancaron regions, the healthcare is delivered by the people on their own, or at least by those that have the dao healing ability. Are there hospitals or sanataria where many forms of health care are concentrated; or are practitioners more diffuse within the community? Specialized facilities only exist in locations where for whatever reason there aren't people with the dao healing ability. In most areas the healers are scattered throughout the community. The closest thing to a hospital in these regions would be schools where healers are taught how to effectively use their abilities. Do people have access to any form of medical aid for emergencies or for less urgent problems? Yes, just call one of the locals with dao healing, who are common enough that there is likely on living right next door, if there isn't on in your own house. The implanted nanites normally can take care of less serious injuries themselves, as well. What kinds of ailments or injuries are treatable in the locality using available supplies and expertise? Everything short of death, and under certain cases, including death. What does typical healthcare cost? Free, people with dao healing are far to common for someone to be successful if they set a cost for healing someone. How do this society's doctors try to treat wounds and sickness? Simple injuries (cuts, scrapes, and so on) are healed automatically with implanted nanites, as are diseases. More serious injuries (and death if applicable) would be healed using dao. Which medical assumptions of this society are wrong? None? Do people seek care on an as-needed or emergency basis; or is health care seen as a preventative endeavor. As needed/emergency, as the nanites take the role of preventing most problems to begin with. How often do people see their doctor, dentist or other healthcare provider? Whenever they need to. Is a distinction made between physical and nonphysical ailments? Yes, most of what would be mental problems in our world are considered to be nonphysical, as they are related to problems with the soul What happens to those suffering from extreme mental illness? Spiritual illness? Other? Souls can be healed just as the body would be, though it is more complicated. Mental/spiritual illness can be healed/cured by finding and fixing irregularities in the soul. Though if someone would rather die than be cured, for whatever reason, they are allowed to do so. How do people react to physical deformity (both congenital and acquired)? With concern? It can be healed just like any other sort of injury. Questions of Sex How does your society define incest? Rape? How do people react to these? What secret vice is believed to be widely practiced? What secret vice actually is practiced? What sexual habits are widely believed common among foreigners? How do people react to homosexuality? Is it frowned on? Encouraged? Are premarital sexual relations allowed? Extramarital? How is adultery defined? What (if any) is the punishment? Who decides? Is prostitution legal? How are prostitutes viewed? Is this accurate? What is the greatest sexual taboo? What does this society mean by the word "virgin" and how important it it? Is sex confined to marriage? Or, is it supposed to be? What constitutes aberrant sexual behavior? Are there any cultural or religious strictures, norms or tabus that specifically address sexual conduct? Are there secular laws that control or restrict sexual behavior? At what age is it considered normal to engage in sex? Are there tabus against sex with children? Should sex be a one-to-one experience? Or are groups allowed? Questions of Education Describe the education of the society's people: formal schooling, apprenticeship, etc. If education is mainly by apprenticeship, how is this accomplished? Is education compulsory / offered to everyone? What is the cost of education? Between which ages does education happen? How are year groups and academic years arranged? How are curricula arranged? What courses are typically offered? What degrees or diplomas are offered by schools? What do schools / colleges / universities look like? What are the classrooms like? What is a typical class size? Who is in charge of education in the country, and in each individual school? Does this society have its own language? Its own writing system? How common is literacy? How is literacy viewed? What form and value are books? Who teaches others? How do they teach? Who decides who learns to read or write? Who teaches professions, like carpenter or scribe? Are foreigners ever brought in to teach new skills? Who does that? Questions of Technology Are philosophy and science unified, or do they exist as separate and independent disciplines? What devices and technologies are available for people? Are such devices taken for granted? If not, how many are appreciated? How do people envision a difficult or impossible task that could be made easier by using some kind of device or futuristic technology? How is knowledge distributed? Is it kept unknown to the common people, or is available for all? Architecture What major architectural styles are present? What do they look like? How does this vary over time and between places in the region? What major elements are present? How are they pieced together? What are houses like inside and out? What are palaces and castles like? How tall is the tallest building? How big is the biggest building? What materials are used in typical construction? Do any materials have to be imported? How are buildings constructed? Are there machines or is work done by hand? What are some famous landmarks in the region? Why are they famous? Are they famous internationally? Questions of Transportation and Communications How do people get from place to place? Does this vary at all in different places? Depends on the location and where they want to go. Walking, boat, train, transporter, aircraft, hovercar, and starship are all options. Do people make long journeys? If so, what are they like? Sometimes, though long is a bit of an unspecific term in a galactic empire... Depending on where you want to go, it is normally easy, and the trips themselves are typically taken as a vacation. Is there a public transport system? Who uses it? How much does it cost? Yes, there is, and most people use it, and it is free. What are the roads like? How do they vary from place to place? There are no actual roads, though there are walkways and train tracks. The train tracks at least are standardized, the walkways can vary, though normally they are all in good condition. Do individuals or families own and use their own vehicles? Sometimes, but they don't need to. A personal hovercar can get people to places faster than other means (well, not transporters, but those are more for long distances) and have better views, though its more of a symbol of status than anything else. A personal starship even more so. How safe and clean is the typical transport system? The transportation systems are very safe, and typically clean. Certainly environmentally clean. What major fuels are used? Dao. Apart from face to face, how do people communicate with each other? The implanted healing nanites also serve as a sort of link to a network where anyone can talk to someone else, which is similar to telepathic communication. Some Ancaron can truly communicate telepathically as well. Holograms can create the appearance of face to face communications as well. Is there a postal service? How fast is it? How much does it cost to use? What restrictions are there on packet delivery? Does the post operate internationally? How likely is it that an article sent in the post will reach its intended destination? Yes, and it is normally fast, though if you're sending something across the galaxy it could take a couple days. There aren't that many restrictions, the package has to be safe for one, and if it is above a certain size, it costs extra. (or rather, it costs, as basic shipping is free) Stuff can be shipped internationally, though this also costs money, and can take a bit longer than a package sent domestically the same distance. Stuff usually arrives at its intended destination though there's always one exception every so often... typically due to incorrect addressing. What technical or mechanical means of communications exist? Mostly the aforementioned holograms (though computers) and the nanite communication network. Telepathy as well, if that counts. There are other ways as well (simple sending of letters, radio, etc), though they aren't used as much. Questions of Economics What is the local economy based on? How is commerce engaged in? If levied, how are taxes collected? What are such revenues used for? How does taxation affect the people? What do people expect from their government in return for the taxes paid? Money What is the local currency like? How is it subdivided? What is is based on (metal, labor, fiat)? Is currency issued by a central authority or by some decentralized means? How does it compare to other neighboring currencies? How has the value of the currency changed or fluctuated recently? How are coins and notes produced? How common are forgeries? How is wealth distributed? Is there a public banking system? Who uses it? What benefits does it bring? At what cost? Is there a large gap between the wealth of the rich and poor? What expectations do each group have from the other? What constitutes "poverty" in this society? Questions of Death and Burial What is their understanding of death and dying? What does this society do with their corpses? Do they cremate their dead? Or, how are dead bodies disposed of? Is the family responsible for the body? What part do the priests play? Are there cemeteries at all? Or, does everyone have a crypt in back with all the relatives in it? Do people visit the dead? If so, how often and why? Suicide What do people in this culture think about suicide? Is it the greatest sin one can commit? Or is it a sin at all? Is it the great and last comfort of a tormented soul? Is it worse than murder? Questions of Government What is the form of government? How is it structured? What are some of the most fundamental policies of the government? What is the political status of minority communities? How is government chosen? What is the country's general foreign policy? Who decides whether someone has broken a law? How? What kinds of punishments are meted out? By whom? Why? How are new laws created or old ones changed? Is there some form of clemency or pardon? What is involved? Who has the right to give orders, and why? What titles do various officials have? How are the rules different for officials as opposed to the common person? How do government officials dress? Is the law written down? Who interprets it? Once accused, what recourse does someone have? Is torture allowed? What kinds? Is capital punishment allowed? How are criminals executed? Who cannot rise to positions of leadership? Is bribery allowed? Under what circumstances? What makes someone a bad ruler in this society? What can be done about it? What are the most common or dangerous forms of criminal? City Watch & Sheriffs Is there a civilian police force, or is law enforcement the province of the military? Is the police force a nationalized one, or are there multiple regional forces? How militant or vigilante are they? Are they usually or ever armed? What is the extent of their authority? Can they shoot you? Can they use magic? Can they torture or otherwise force a confession? Can they use telepathy? Are there individuals or groups who are above the law? Is there a secret police? What is the role of police informants, if any? Questions of Warfare Does the country have an armed force? What types? What size? The empire has mainly has just land and space based forces. There really isn't any need for dedicated air or water forces, as the space forces can be used in atmosphere. The size of the forces per planet appears to be small at first glance, though considering the amount of planets in the empire, the total size of the forces ends up being quite large. Each planet usually keeps a force roughly analogous to a single carrier battle group, though some important planets (such as Antacar) have more. How do the armed forces compare with others in the region or world? The forces are the largest in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The Dlorwani's military forces in the Milky Way are technically larger, but are far less advanced, and the Dlorwani aren't united. Who declares war? In theory, the emperor; in practice, the military leaders. The situation is more normally that the military leaders would start the war and report back to the emperor, who would okay (or deny) the operation, though often with small operations even this doesn't happen. The military as a whole is largely decentralized, due to its size, though the emperor could directly order an operation, if he or she wants to. (Which is what happened with the current Hasiq campaign) Who has the power to declare conditions of peace? In theory, the emperor; in practice, the military leaders. How are treaties negotiated? What happens to prisoners taken in battle? What weapons are favored by the various armed forces? What form of warfare does this society use? Typically war is simply a full on frontal assault, using the Ancaron's normally superior numbers and power to force the enemy into submission. In more close wars, warfare becomes much more asymmetric, with hit and run attacs, among other similar tactics. How do battles in the air or water or underworld differ from surface warfare? Who are the Elite warriors? What distinguishes them? The nacran are the elite warriors, they are artificially created lifeforms with better abilities than base-form life. How does someone get command of troops? The main leaders are also nacran, and they get command by first being created for that purpose, and then by a series of tests and trials to find the best out of the group. Each group is normally small, just 2 to 4 individuals, however. Getting command in the lower part of the chain of command is similar to that on Earth, with candidates being promoted for good, effective service. Where do the loyalties of military units lie? Are there professional soldiers? Do they make up the bulk of the military? What is campaign or camp life like? What ethical or moral codes do warriors adhere to? How are battle injuries treated? In much the same way as other injuries, minor injuries are healed using the nanites in people, more serious injuries are healed with dao. How long do wars typically last? Wars can last years or they could just be a couple weeks, depending on the opponent. There really isn't any sort of typical length. Has this society ever attacked another? What was the nature of that war? What would make this society go to war? Has there ever been a civil war or a revolution? What do soldiers do when there's no war? Are there any current tensions / wars / embargoes etc with any other nations? The Ancaron are currently at war with the Hasiq, though as of now, they are currently in transit. The Ancaron are technically at war with the Dlorwani as well, though this conflict largely consists of the occasional skirmish. Who are the country's enemies? Who's winning the war? The Hasiq, Dlorwani, and an unknown force in the Large Magellanic Cloud. They are currently "winning" the war with the Dlorwani (or at least, the aforementioned skirmishes) and there is no current actual conflict with the Hasiq or the unknown force. No current campaign against the LMC force is planned, due to lack of any knowledge of them. What defenses are available to cities? City shields and defense cannons, primarily. Most defense is handled directly by the space-based forces, which should keep the enemy from even reaching the cities (or the planet, for that matter) to begin with. Category:Ethnographical Questionnaires Category:Ancaron